Floating oil barrier and method of containing a floating substance

ABSTRACT

A system for circumscribing and impounding oils floating on the surface of water which includes a water-impervious, floating enclosing barrier presenting a substantially rigid vertical surface to the oil with means permitting limited movement of the barrier in the horizontal and vertical planes to compensate for constantly changing wave shapes and forms.

United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTSInventors Murray Risin Palm Beach Gardens;

F F U U 6 6 n" mm mm Mmmm m nM d kGmm km e mkmh O 0 52 7 66 9 99 H "H 318 l 29 9 36 9 05 9 80 3 IV m c o h .m m. m m .m D. g u h J E m y l n a97 s um n 7 n m um R7FA 0 de N mm I g Wmmn Ha AFPA nfi 2247 PrimaryExaminer-Peter M. Caun Attorney-John J. Byrne Washington, D.C.

[s4 nonmc on. BARRIER AND METHOD or A system g on the surface of waterwhich includes a water-1m- CONTAINING A SUBSTANCE pervious, floatingenclosing barrier presenting a substantially chins Drum: Figs rigidvertical surface to the oil with means permitting limited [52] 0.8.61/], 61/5 movement of the barrier in the horizontal and vertical planes[5|] lnt. F02b 15/04 to compensate for constantly changing wave shapesand forms.

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Patented Aug. 10, 1971 3,597,92

I 4 Sheets-Sheet l /4 i W4 Q? A l4 2 I l g IN VE/VTORS x ROBERT M SNYDERMURRAY R/S/N Patented Aug. 10, 1971 I 3,597,924

4 Sheets-Sheet 8 Fla-4A //v vnvrons ROBERT M. SNYDER MURRAY R/S/N MTORNE Y Patented Aug. 10, 1971 3,597,924

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS ROBERT M. SNYDER MURRAY R/S/N [WW W A TORNEYfunction; and

The amount of oil andother petroleumproducts being shipped overourseaways has increased greatly in the last several decades. Because ofthis increase in total tonnage and the ever-increasing size of marinetankers being built for these purposes, serious damage can occur toadjacent land areas in the event of breakage, spills, or leakagefromsuch vessels. Damage has also occurred in-port areas because oftanker,

leakage and there .is an ever-present danger of oil losses aboutoffshore drilling installations.

. A primary objective of this invention is to provide a means which isreadily moved to the threatened area and which is quickly positioned soas to circumscribe the oil and contain it such that the oil can besubjected to other means of recovery and/or destruction.

Another principal objective of this invention is to provide a barrier toimpound a floating substance which will substantially eliminate thefloating substance from escaping over or under the bottom or top edgesof the barrier. i

A further objective of this invention is to provide a floating oilbarrier whichhas means to compensate for either'large wave swells orshort steep waves.

ment. The segments andweb portions areconveniently fabricated from apairof corrugated sections 16 of the type partially shown in FIG. 6.Thesections 16 have opposed depressions which when placed in matingrelationship form the hexagonal cross section. A constant length strapor cable member 18 runs the length of the barrier and is disposedbetween a pair of sections 16. The strap cable member is fixedly securedto webs 14 by bolts or rivetlike members 19.-The

strap can be said to divide each segment into an upper portion and alower portion 22. The cable maintains the intermediate points ofconnection of each segment'in a fixeddistance relationship with oneanother.

A still further objective of the invention is to provide an oil barrierwhich is readily transported to the emergencyarea and Y which willwithstand the rough handling oftentimes encouning oil barrier which canbe constructedof materials which are resistant to deterioration b'ysaltwater, oil ,fire and sunlight.

Another important objective of this invention isto provide an oilbarrier of the type described which'canbe cleaned by steam or chemicalsafter its use. I v

Another important objective of this invention is to provide an oilbarrier design whichpermits the fabrication thereof in either continuouslengths requiring connections only at its terminal ends or in the eventoflong barriers, a plurality of sections which can be interconnected toconstruct a single, continuous barrier.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent tothose skilled in the art by reference to the following detaileddescription when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings wherein.

FIG. I is a diagrammatic perspective view of. the barrier with a set ofcartesian coordinators superimposed thereon for purposes of description;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation view of a portion of a barrierdisposed in a body of water;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are, respectively, top and bottom diagrammatic planviews of the sections of barrier disclosed in FIG. 2;

FIGS, 4A and 4B are, respectively, top and bottom diagrammatic planviews of a barrier positioned as in FIG. 2 but with FIG. 7A isanelevation of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7B is an elevation of the structure of FIG. 7A showing FIG. 8-is afragmentary top plan view showing one of the flexible joints depicted inFIG-7A.

Referring now' to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate likeparts,the numeral lflgenerally indicates the floatingbarrier. In theconstruction of FIG. 1', the barrier is com- Prior to fastening theopposing members 16 together by rivets,'screws or the like, buoyancyunits 24, which can be connected together via a resilient strap 26, aredisposed in the depression of upper portion of each segment. Below thecable 18 a series of weight or ballast members 28 are disposed in eachlower portion 22. For convenience and ease of construction, the weightsare connected together via a resilient strap 29. The buoyant cells andballast members 24 and 28 are of a shape and consistency which will notinterfere with the com traction and expansion of the segments 12 ashereinafter described. l

The assembled barrier 10 is defined by an upper edge 30 and a lower edge32. At each of its terminal ends, the barrier is formed with an aluminumUV-shaped configuration 31 which receives an elongated extrusion ofneoprene 64. The terminal ends are quickly secured together by insertingfriction grips into U"-shaped depressions. Such sealing and fasteningsystems are known to the art and hereinafter are referred to merely asthe joining assembly 40.

FIG. 2 shows an alternate construction of a barrier using a single sheetof flexible material 42 such as plastic. Equally spaced transversestiffening rods 44 are secured along the longitudinal length of thebarrier. A constant length cable 46 traverses the sheet and is connectedtoeach rod 44. Bouyancy cells 48 are connected above the cable andballast as weight members 50 are connected below the cable. FIGS. 4A and4B illustrate the expansion and contraction of the segments of FIG. 1 asthe barrier rises and falls with the wave pattern. FIGS. 3A and 3Billustrate the folding and expansion of the FIG. 2 embodiment forvarious wave patterns.

This invention considers the dynamic geometry of the air/waterinterface. That interface (the water surface on which the oil slick iscarried) is depicted by the line 26. Of the six degrees of freedominvolved, the three rotational degrees are important to problcms'ofimpounding oil within a barrier. The translational degrees'of freedomare dependent upon deploy mentprocedures rather than barrierconstruction and are not considered herein. The rotational degrees offreedom are indicatedby superimposed cartesian coordinates in FIG. 1.The X coordinate is the longitudinal axis of the barrier along the cable18, the Y coordinate lies on a horizontal line through the X-X axis;andthe Z coordinate on a vertical line through the X-Xaxis. Angle Brepresents angular rotation about the X-X axis, the angle A representsrotation about a Y-Y axis; and the angle C represents rotation 'about'aZ-Z axis. The Y-Y and Z-Z'axes can be taken at any common point alongthe X-X axis.

Unless the barrier presents a vertical surface to the oil, the

' oil carried'on the surface of the waterwill escape over the bar- 7depressions. Therefore, inorder to take full advantage of the rier atwave crests'and tvill" seep below the barrier at wave barriers height,the angle B must'remain close to 0 that is, the barrier should besubstantially fixed with respect to the Y-Z plane. This is accomplishedthrough the ballast, the buoyancy cells and the longitudinalstiffness'ofsegments 12 or the rods 44. -So that the barrier can be rolled forstorage and located about oddishaped oil slicks, flexibility in the X-Zplane, i.e., angle C is freely variable through about 130. In thestructures of FIGS. 1 and 2 this is possible because of the inherentflexibility of the material utilized.

The barrier is provided with freedom to follow short-period or steepwave slopes in theX-Z plane, i.e., the angle A is variable in bothdirections. This ability to conform with wave pattern follows thegeneral principles of both the FIG. I and FIG. 2 constructions. For abarrier having a height of 3 feet the radius of curvature in the planeof the barrier should be about 30 feet under average conditions and thebarrier should be able to bend in both directions. This means that theupper and lower edges 30 and 32 of the barrier are capable of elongatingand compressing at about a l:l2 ratio. The cable or strap 18 is providedto prevent the barrier from stretching along the X axis. The cable alsoprovides a line of high strength for towing purposes.

The barrier of this invention encompasses other means of construction.For instance, in FIGS. 5A and 58 there is shown a series ofsubstantially rigid panel members 52 interconnected by flexible neopreneconnections 54. Running throughout the length of this barrier is a cable56 for stabilizing barrier length. A sufficient number of buoyancy cells58 are secured above the cable and a sufficient number of ballastweights 60 are provided below cable 18 to maintain the barrier in avertical position. As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 5B, the barrier canincrease its upper edge length with a simultaneous shortening of itslower edge length so as to arch or fan with the oil-water interface. Theinterconnecting neoprene connections 54 provide substantially the samemovement characteristics and natural resiliency as the segments 52. The

panels of this embodiment can also be of aluminum, plastic, a

specialized fabric, or other materials which are suitable to withstandthis hostile environment.

FIG. 6 shows the connector-sealing means 40 which can be used to quicklyjoin a series of barrier sections together and/or to join their terminalends. As mentioned heretofore, the barrier can be constructed of onesingle length or a series of lengths. In either event, there is at leastone pair of terminal ends which must be quickly and sealingly secured ineach embodiment. The ends of each segment are provided with an extrusion31 which receives one end of a neoprene link 64 having sawtoothconnector elements 65 adapted to be received by adjacent extrusions. Ajoint of this same general type is marketed by the Alcoa Corporation asa Snug Seam-E connection under the trademark Alply. It will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that other connector means areavailable for connecting terminal ends of panels. Where the aluminumcorrugated units are used, their ends are readily shaped to receive aconnector as shown. Where a sheet material is used (FIG. 2, for example)an appropriate extrusion can be affixed to its terminal ends.

Another mode of construction is shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B and 8. Here, aseries of substantially rigid panels 70 are secured together by a seriesof rigid ties or straps 72. The connection is made by bolts 74 in amanner to permit a'pivoting action. Flexible members 75 span thedistance between adjacent panels and thus provide a continuous barrier.Buoyant members are secured to the upper portion of each panel byrivets, bolts, staples or the like 78. Weights (not shown) can besecured to the lower portions of the panels if they are of insufficientdensity to stay upright by themselves. Again, it can be noted, thefunction of this apparatus is similar to that of those embodimentspreviously described.

It can be seen that an important aspect of this invention is to providea barrier which can crest and depress in response to the demands of theair/water interface. This function is accomplished by the ability of thebarrier to expand and contract in the fanlike or accordianlike movementabout the constant length members. Theexpansion and contraction can takeplace in the relatively rigid segments (FIG. I) or it can take place inthe material between segments (FIGS. 2-8).

We claim:

I. A device for impounding oil or other substances floating on or nearthe surface ofa body of water comprising,

an elongated continuous web of substantially flexible material having atop edge, a bottom edge and two free ends, plurality of stiffening meansattached to said web in spaced relationship and extending transverselyof the longitudinal axis of said web, and I a substantially constantlength, nonrigid, elongated connecting means fixed to said web at saidstiffening means and extending throughout the longitudinal length ofsaid web along a line intermediate said top and bottom edges,

the effective length of each segment of said connecting means betweeneach of said stiffening means being less than that of the length alongthe same axis of each segment of said web between each of saidstiffening means, whereby the portions of said web between said edgesand said line can fan about horizontal axes extending through pointslying on said line and normal to said web.

2. The invention of claim I including fastening means on said free endswhereby said ends may be fastened together to form a circumscribingimpounding device.

3. The invention of claim I wherein said strap is flexible to permitsaid web to undulate horizontally normal to its longitudinal axis.

4. The invention of claim I wherein said strap is flexible to therebypermit said web undulation in the plane of said barrier as limited bythe ability of said upper and lower portions of fan.

5. A device for impounding oil or other substances floating on or nearthe surface of a body of water comprising an elongated weblike barrierof semirigid material having an elongated top edge and an elongatedbottom edge,

said barrier comprising hollow segments spaced longitudinally of saidbarrier and extending transversely thereof, said segments beingexpansible and collapsible to increase and decrease the length of saidbarrier,

means connecting said segments, and

a substantially constant fixed-length strap joined to and extendinglongitudinally of said barrier along a plurality of points intermediatesaid top and bottom edges whereby when said hollow segments expand andcollapse, the portions of said barrier between said edges and said strapare permitted to fan about horizontal axes extending through said pointsand normal to said barrier,

said barrier being of sufficient buoyancy to maintain said top edgeabove the surface of said body of water.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said barrier comprises opposedsemirigid corrugated sheets joined to define said hollow segments.

7. The invention of claim 5 wherein said barrier has two free ends andincluding fastening means on said free ends for joining said free ends.

8. The invention of claim 5 wherein said strap is flexible to permitsaid barrier to undulate horizontally normal to its longitudinal axis.

9. The invention of claim 5 wherein said strap is flexible to therebypermit said barrier to undulate in the plane of said barrier as limitedby the ability of said upper and lower ends to fan.

10. The invention of claim 6 wherein said corrugated sheets are joinedat abutting lands, and said hollow segments are hexagonal in crosssection.

II. The invention of claim 5 including ballast means and buoyant meansafiixed to the lower and upper portions of said barrier respectively.

12. The invention of claim 5 wherein said barrier is of aluminum.

13. The invention of claim 5 wherein said barrier is of plastic.

14. The invention of claim 7 wherein said fastening means includes aU-shaped channel extending along the edge of each free end and a lockingmeans insertable in said channels joining said ends.

2. The invention of claim 1 including fastening means on said free endswhereby said ends may be fastened together to form a circumscribingimpounding device.
 3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said strap isflexible to permit said web to undulate horizontally normal to itslongitudinal axis.
 4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said strap isflexible to thereby permit said web undulation in the plane of saidbarrier as limited by the ability of said upper and lower portions tofan.
 5. A device for impounding oil or other substances floating on ornear the surface of a body of water comprising an elongated weblikebarrier of semirigid material having an elongated top edge and anelongated bottom edge, said barrier comprising hollow segments spacedlongitudinally of said barrier and extending transversely thereof, saidsegments being expansible and collapsible to increase and decrease thelength of said barrier, means connecting said segments, and asubstantially constant fixed-length strap joined to and extendinglongitudinally of said barrier along a plurality of points intermediatesaid top and bottom edges whereby when said hollow segments expand andcollapse, the portions of said barrier between said edges and said strapare permitted to fan about horizontal axes extending through said pointsand normal to said barrier, said barrier being of sufficient buoyancy tomaintain said top edge above the surface of said body of water.
 6. Theinvention of claim 5 wherein said bArrier comprises opposed semirigidcorrugated sheets joined to define said hollow segments.
 7. Theinvention of claim 5 wherein said barrier has two free ends andincluding fastening means on said free ends for joining said free ends.8. The invention of claim 5 wherein said strap is flexible to permitsaid barrier to undulate horizontally normal to its longitudinal axis.9. The invention of claim 5 wherein said strap is flexible to therebypermit said barrier to undulate in the plane of said barrier as limitedby the ability of said upper and lower ends to fan.
 10. The invention ofclaim 6 wherein said corrugated sheets are joined at abutting lands, andsaid hollow segments are hexagonal in cross section.
 11. The inventionof claim 5 including ballast means and buoyant means affixed to thelower and upper portions of said barrier respectively.
 12. The inventionof claim 5 wherein said barrier is of aluminum.
 13. The invention ofclaim 5 wherein said barrier is of plastic.
 14. The invention of claim 7wherein said fastening means includes a U-shaped channel extending alongthe edge of each free end and a locking means insertable in saidchannels joining said ends.